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Review - Perfect Day

What makes a perfect day? For some it's a good breakfast. For others it's just having the day off. Still, for others it's having the day off and doing something that really makes you happy, even if it comes at the expense of something else in your life. That's the setting in Perfect Day, written by Jesse Young and illustrated by Caspar Wijngaard.
Everyone needs to play hooky once in a while. What you do on that day off is what makes it ultimately worth it. Spending the day with someone you care for always makes for a good day, even if you have to deal with the consequences after the fact.

It's good to take a day, damning the consequences. That's exactly what the main character in Perfect Day does, eschewing his normal routine for something a little less ordinary, yet just what he's looking for. Young capitalizes on the basis for Ferris Bueller's Day Off, in that life moves pretty fast and if you don't stop to look around every now and then, you might miss something. Perfect Day is short, but it's infused with that sense of joie de vivre, where a person can decide that there are things in life more important than clocking in and out on a typical work day. That's what pretty beautiful about the pretty succinct story, in that the character knows he's risking safety for the chance to enjoy life, but he's will to take that risk anyway.

The simple artistic style by Wijngaard goes a long way in bolstering the comic's case for being a subtle statement about emotion. Characters and settings are defined by strong lines, which are filled in almost recklessly, but in a way that feels complete. There's clear emotion being shared by both of the characters in the comic and Wijngaard doesn't shy away from making that emotion readily apparent. The general lack of dialogue is punctuated by lettering at certain points that breaks into the artwork, attempting to disturb the enjoyable day being had. Wijngaard does a good job of presenting a contrast in art styles that emphasizes the differences in emotion.

The premise behind Perfect Day is ridiculously simple, yet elegantly presented. The concept of someone skipping out on their duties to enjoy life is certainly not new, but it still makes for a great read. Young's script is very concise, moving quickly through the day of truancy in a way that parallels responsibility with enjoyability. Wijngaard's artwork is bright and airy, providing a cheerfulness to the work that reinforces the events of the day. Perfect Day is a relaxing read that reminds the reader that there are some thing that you're better off for if you don't take them seriously.